Tips for a Rainy Day
Some Very Silly Dog Activities

Our dogs love to play catch, which is safer on our furniture than chasing
a ball. We just toss a soft toy or a ball made out of old socks toward
the mouth and say "catch!" at the same time. (Don't leave him with an old
sock ball, thought, cuz they can shred faster than anything and make
swallowable fibers.)

Another game is to put a toy or treat in a semi-difficult place and let
him try to get it. Under the sofa, armchair, or dresser works great. Just
don't let it be a time to dig a hole in the carpet or chew a chairleg.
You do have to watch. ;-)

A ride in the car works wonders for the restless dogs in our house.
Especially if they get to sit in a parking lot for a few minutes and bark
at patrons. (Tip: park far, far away from the rest of the cars! (You may
not want to leave a puppy alone in a vehicle, though!)

Have human friends over. The alertness Steinway will feel compelled to
maintain will help wear him out. Plus, he'll have some new playmates for
awhile.

Our male bouv loves to listen to music and will park by the speaker and
wail along when he hears his faves.

A couple of soft towels in front of a glass door is as good as tv for our
guys.

Roll a tennis ball down a flight of stairs. Irresistable.

Especially when they're wet, teaching them to lie down in a certain spot
is a great idea. Paddington learned "lie down on bunkie" as a wet puppy
and we still use it any time we want the dogs to lie down and be quiet.
Trick is, you gotta have a bunkie. In our case, it's a towel or a fleece
bed or a dog blanket. Whatever is indicated, they'll take it. A bunkie is
something special to 'em. Especially if you make like it's a big treat by
your tone of voice and the care you take over putting it down close to
where you're sitting or working. If he's very wet, take another dry towel
and put it over him. He'll likely go to sleep and stay warm and get dry
from body heat at the same time.

Okay, and lastly, here's an idea just for your own fun. Put a shirt or
socks or a hat on your dog and if you have a roommate or SO, go show em.
Make sure the puppy feels complimented, NOT made fun of.  Paddington will
wear anything and he feels really proud when I say what a good sport he
is and how calm he is and how patient and sweet he is to let me be silly,
etc. (He doesn't prance around and act like he's so cute. He actually
has a patient sort of "oh brother" expression and keeps a very dignified
air.)

If it appeals to your sense of humor, take pictures. There's bit on
Funniest Home Videos opening that we've seen where some people put a pair
of sunglasses on their dog's docked tail, added a fake "beard" of some
sort, and videotaped it up close so when the dog wags his little tail, it
looks like a face with a wiggling nose.

Whatever. Just telling your dog stuff can be very entertaining. They
listen for awhile and then they go to sleep. Just like spouses! But
cuter....mostly!